water calmed. However, my brief moment of peace didn't last. Before I knew it,
I had almost reached the ceiling, and with no exit, I began to panic. At this rate, I
would be trapped and drowned within minutes.
Feeding off my fear, the water tossed me around again. It rose up my neck
and over the top of my head. I was going to drown.
No, I scolded myself. You are the granddaughter of Mae Veracor and the great-granddaughter of Genevieve Silver. You are the descendant of strong women. You have nothing to be afraid of.
In response to my words, the water retreated a little bit, and I was able to tilt
my head back above it.
How am I going to get out of this?
A small, silver rock shined in the ceiling. I reached my hands up and touched
it. The stone was solid, but not as hard as I expected. Desperately, I began clawing at the soft rock. As I tore at it, the material crumbled in my hands.
Feeling confident, I dug my short nails into it with all the power I could muster,
tearing at the heavy sandy material.
I blinked away the small particles covering my face. Laughing at the irony, I
mused, If I keep this up, I'll bury myself alive, instead of drowning.
Thoughts of giving up and just letting myself sink away crossed my mind.
Then, damp soil replaced rock, and I was motivated to try harder. The black earth was like the soil in my grandmother's garden.
Finally, the small hole I had dug into the ceiling was just enough for my hands to fit through. Concentrating every bit of energy I had inside me, I continued my escape until I felt small roots. Tugging at the plant in my hand, a
warm breeze blew over my scraped and bleeding fingertips. I patted the area, hoping I was touching the soft, damp moss of Starten Forest and not pursuing another trap.
My efforts of removing the soil and moss around me were not wasted. I was
quickly able to reach my arms up and through the hole that I had made.
Struggling, I pulled myself out of the water. I laughed as I felt the breeze on my
dirt-covered face.
Digging my elbows into the ground, I was able to heave half of my body out
of the hole. Panting and shaking from the effort, I rested my cheek on the ground. Don't give up now, I thought.
Reaching out around me, I anchored my fingers into the earth and made my final effort to claw myself out of the watery cave. Wriggling and writing, I dragged myself onto the large roots of a tree.
You freed yourself, I thought proudly before embracing my exhaustion.
Chapter
Twenty-Nine
As I lay, staring at the ground, I had so many thoughts running through
my head that I could not straighten them out enough to focus. Why am
I so drained if this is just my soul? Isn't my body at home, resting,right now?
A warm breeze blew over me, and I braced myself for a scolding from Blaze.
“Are you going to just rest there all day,” a deep sultry voice asked. The words ran through me like a hot wave, and I knew it was Kai.
Not moving from my resting spot, I replied, “I'm taking a rest after my near-
death experience. A break seemed appropriate after digging myself out of the watery tomb I was trapped in.”
“Isn't that a bit dramatic? You look alive and well, other than all the dirt covering you. Come on. Here, take my hand, and I'll help you up.”
As if my mind had no control over my body, I rolled over to face him and accepted his outstretched hand. When our fingers touched, I felt the same heat run through me that I had the first time we met.
Kai yanked me hard, and I crashed into him.
Stepping back, I stood face-to-face with the handsome elemental. For the
